Guitar
Whilst camping with a bunch of friends this weekend, (roasted a pig! Good fun!) I came up with what I think is a pretty apt description of being an accompanist.
Essentially you are in conversation when you're accompanying anyone and the same rules of engagement apply. When you're in respectful conversation with someone you don't generally blurt out random asides that have nothing to do with the conversation. You don't start speaking in extremes of loud or quiet; you modulate your tones with the flow of the chat and the relative background noise quite naturally. You wait for the person leading the talk to leave holes before you comment with more than a "yeah" or "mm-hmmm". You don't generally launch into another language, but you may use a particular bon-mot for effect. When there's a gap in the story/diatribe you take a moment to comment on the material, and perhaps share a personal anecdote that lends some other dimension to the chat. You pursue the topic to it's logical (and possibly illogical) conclusion.
Playing appropriately with almost any artist is exactly the same. Being a good listener is a boon in any part of your life, but an essential ingredient in an accompanist.
- Reeve - Other Owner.
I've just received this comment and thought it worthy of posting up. "Hi Flat Eric, Some info on Reeve guitars - bear with me it's a bit of a yarn! First, I bought a Mex Tele (I'm a 6 stringer by the way) that needed a set up. ...
- Bass Restoration - Kent Armstrong. . . . .
After a bit of research and a few pointers from readers, I decided to approach Kent Armstrong, to confirm that the pick-ups in the Reeve, were his. This was his reply and the subsequent conversation: Yes they are mine...
- Solo (you Can't Hear It)
One is the loneliest number... I just landed a steady solo gig, the first in about two years since I had a serious falling out with the proprietor of the last joint (where I had cooked for eight years and performed for three-and-half). This...
- Ephemera And Updates
Hey gang, I haven't forgot about you! I've just been extremely busy with both family and musical responsibilities. There are some cool posts coming up though: the Zinky Smoky Amp demo is almost ready; it's written and recorded...
- Learning To Live With It
Under the microscope again... I recently had occasion to listen to some of the recorded work I did over the last year. In total I "surveyed" about fourteen tunes from three different projects, and was struck with a simple fact: in not one...
Guitar
Conversations
 |
| Many of my best conversations are with Sandybone. He knows how to tell a story. |
Essentially you are in conversation when you're accompanying anyone and the same rules of engagement apply. When you're in respectful conversation with someone you don't generally blurt out random asides that have nothing to do with the conversation. You don't start speaking in extremes of loud or quiet; you modulate your tones with the flow of the chat and the relative background noise quite naturally. You wait for the person leading the talk to leave holes before you comment with more than a "yeah" or "mm-hmmm". You don't generally launch into another language, but you may use a particular bon-mot for effect. When there's a gap in the story/diatribe you take a moment to comment on the material, and perhaps share a personal anecdote that lends some other dimension to the chat. You pursue the topic to it's logical (and possibly illogical) conclusion.
Playing appropriately with almost any artist is exactly the same. Being a good listener is a boon in any part of your life, but an essential ingredient in an accompanist.
- Reeve - Other Owner.
I've just received this comment and thought it worthy of posting up. "Hi Flat Eric, Some info on Reeve guitars - bear with me it's a bit of a yarn! First, I bought a Mex Tele (I'm a 6 stringer by the way) that needed a set up. ...
- Bass Restoration - Kent Armstrong. . . . .
After a bit of research and a few pointers from readers, I decided to approach Kent Armstrong, to confirm that the pick-ups in the Reeve, were his. This was his reply and the subsequent conversation: Yes they are mine...
- Solo (you Can't Hear It)
One is the loneliest number... I just landed a steady solo gig, the first in about two years since I had a serious falling out with the proprietor of the last joint (where I had cooked for eight years and performed for three-and-half). This...
- Ephemera And Updates
Hey gang, I haven't forgot about you! I've just been extremely busy with both family and musical responsibilities. There are some cool posts coming up though: the Zinky Smoky Amp demo is almost ready; it's written and recorded...
- Learning To Live With It
Under the microscope again... I recently had occasion to listen to some of the recorded work I did over the last year. In total I "surveyed" about fourteen tunes from three different projects, and was struck with a simple fact: in not one...